Free Custom «The Man, the Myth, the Legion» Essay Paper

Introduction

If there was only one man in American history that could not be forgotten, ignored, or respected, that one man would be Abraham Lincoln. The drastic impact of the profound history that one person could provide for ones country takes a kind of man like Lincoln. His life was all but to short, yet he still made such a drastic impact on the American way of life that there is a lot to study and learn from him. Throughout this paper I will be elaborating on his personal life, political life, and accomplishments all while showing how he helped shape America into one of the most powerful and successful countries in the world. In as much as there are many critics on Abraham Lincoln’s approach both on the political and social scene, the impact he had on the American history while he was alive provides a rich background of the American struggle and other effects through the years.

Lincoln growing up and his child hood

Family history grandfather and father

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12 1809 in the woods and specifically in a log cabin single room cubicle at Hardin County. His naming served to prolong his slain grandfather’s life who had similar names. The life of his grandfather was a wary one for him and the family. Lincoln’s grandfather was accidentally killed in 1786 by red Indians as he pursued his normal life struggles in his farm at the large and expansive Kentucky (Klingaman 2001). Lincolns’ father was an uneducated man who supported the family through limited means.

 

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How physical labor and working affected him at a young age even though he did not enjoy it.

Lincoln made a significant struggle in order to earn a living that could make him attend good education. He worked in a farm where he was constantly splitting fence rails. This was a significantly hard manual labor at his age at the time (Klingaman 2001). During these struggles, Lincoln showed enthusiasm in what he did despite the fact that it was a demanding task at all times. This is what made him derive the necessary driving force to push forth with his struggles and attain significant educational miles in his young life tenure.

The impact of his mother dying and his stepmother had on him and his sister’s life.

Lincoln’s mother died of milk related sickness in 1818 while he wts only ten years old (Gienapp 2002). His father promptly remarried another woman by the name Sarah Bush. The two siblings grew up to be fond of their stepmother and regarded her as their real mother. However, this introduced him into a world of continuous struggle and suffering for him and his younger sibling. This was due to the fact that his father was merely an uneducated man who could barely support such a small family going by his limited wages, which he earned at the time. Nevertheless, Abraham Lincoln never relented but look responsibility of his own life and his sister’s livelihood as he sought to labor in the woods and consistent farm work (Gienapp 2002).

Starting out in Politics.

First speech about slavery.

In his primal speech on slavery Lincoln took a strong stand against the practice and critically condemned its supporters.  Lincoln sais in his speech,

“The act has declared indifference, but as I think , covert real zeal for the spread of slavery, I cannot but hate it. I hate it because of the monstrous injustice of slavery itself. I hate it of freedom to doubt our sincerity, and especially because it forces so may really good mean amongst ourselves into an open war with the fundamental principles of civil liberty...criticizing the declaration of independence, and insisting that there is no right principle of action but self interest.” (Gienapp 2002)

Lincoln running for Presidency Lincoln’s Presidency.

Abraham Lincoln made his maiden appearance in the field of politics in the year 1860. This he did at a political rally in Cooper Union, New York. Here he made his will to the people that he wanted to be a presidential candidate. Lincoln won the second choice nomination by taking a majority as William Seward was significantly an unpopular candidate (Gienapp 2002). Hence, he had better qualities than his contenders did. He contended for presidency and won against Northern Democrat’s Douglas and Sothern Democrat’s John Breckinridge. During his inaugural address, the South had already relegated itself from the Union making his impact on the South significantly minimal.

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Fighting the Civil war and the outcome.

The Republicans emerged as Americas’ first major party during the mid 1850s. The subsequent realignment that followed led to the unfortunate creation of the third party system in the contemporary American political scene. Tensions were created all through leading to the emancipation of struggles between opposing systems (McPherson 1991). Majority of the political tensions emanated from the West. This was attributed to the interest in cotton by the West, yet it was not agriculturally fit. The Democratic Party’s approach to slavery further prompted the protest from the Southern block which avidly supported sentiments of slave trade and used it to support their influence through territorial domination. The Whig Party composed by of a minority later came to flourish than the Democrats (Edith 1999). This led to a significant realignment seen in the pattern of voting that was adopted leading to Abraham Lincoln’s victory in election.

Why John Booth decided to kill Lincoln

John Booth, a well known actor made history by committing the murder of Abraham Lincoln. The initial plan was to kidnap Lincoln in exchange of federal prisoners but this never came to happen. On April 11, Lincoln gave a speech supporting the voting rights for black people. This act annoyed Booth to the point that he decided to kill him instantly (McPherson 1991).

What happened after the assignation and how it affected the country.

After the assignation Booth made an attempt to escape but was caught up with after a twelve-day manhunt. Lincoln became the first president to undergo assassination. A series of celebrations ensued among them being the Copperheads celebration because of Lincoln’s tyranny. The death of Lincoln led to the philosophical adoption of the topic of slavery by his critics (Bernice 1998). This was because they regarded his beliefs as lacking moral parental background due to his upbringing.

Opinion Paragraph

I believe that Abraham Lincoln not only had a challenging life but a purposeful one. I personally have learned how one man can make a difference. Since one half of my family along with myself is African Americans the end to slavery was such an important feat with many lives being changed. Lincoln is the most written about man in U.S. history becoming one of the most influential and important persons in our American history. Conclusion Paragraph: Throughout this paper you have read how Abraham Lincoln has helped shape America into the independently free country that it is today. From making incredible even controversial at the time speeches about slavery or signing the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln was constantly working toward a better America. He knew then that with the right attitude and leadership this country would survive even if it meant fighting a Civil War. Knowing that Lincoln was only one man and even with some of the myths that have been written one thing is for sure, Abraham Lincoln is and always will be a legion in the history of the United States of America.